The recipe
for your table
Fill a highball glass to the rim with ice cubes.
Pour the vodka and grapefruit juice over the ice and stir briefly.
Slowly pour in the cranberry juice; it sinks to the bottom and creates the red gradient.
Garnish with a lime wheel on the rim and serve with a straw.
The story
The name Sea Breeze already existed in the 1930s, but back then it referred to a very different drink: gin, apricot brandy, and grenadine. The version we know today only emerged in the 1970s, when cranberry juice became widely available in supermarkets across the United States and bartenders began experimenting with it. A whole family emerged: with pineapple juice instead of grapefruit, the same cocktail is called a Bay Breeze; with gin, a Sea Dog. The Sea Breeze became the best known - probably because it is the only one of the group that isn't sweet.
The right glass
A tall highball glass of 36 to 47 cl shows off the pink-red gradient best: the taller the glass, the longer the transition. Clear, colorless glass is essential - this is a cocktail you make and admire. Plenty of ice matters with this ratio, because without a mixer with bubbles, the ice is the only thing keeping the drink cold. A glass with a thick base stands firmly on a garden table and feels better than its price suggests.
Onis Icon Highball Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Duralex Picardie Highball Glass 36 cl (6 pieces)
Together € 56,90.
The right tools
For a Sea Breeze, besides the glass, you use a bar spoon for stirring, a jigger for precise measuring, a citrus juicer and glass straws. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 4 bar tools — together € 89,75.
Variations & twists
Replace the grapefruit with pineapple juice and you have a Bay Breeze; use gin instead of vodka and it is called a Sea Dog. Leave out the grapefruit juice and top up with soda water for a lighter version. A splash of Aperol makes it more bitter and interesting. In the mood for the same cranberry base but more vibrant? See the Cosmopolitan. More inspiration in all cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Choose cranberry juice with no added sugar — sweet supermarket juice turns this refreshing cocktail into candy. Pink grapefruit is milder than yellow grapefruit and works better here. Add the cranberry juice last and pour slowly: it is heavier than the rest and will naturally sink to the bottom. Do not stir if you want to preserve the gradient.
Frequently asked questions
Which glass do you use for a Sea Breeze?
A tall highball glass holding 36 to 47 cl. View our highball glasses.
What is the difference from a Bay Breeze?
Only the second juice: the Sea Breeze uses grapefruit, while the Bay Breeze uses pineapple. That makes the Bay Breeze much sweeter.
How do you create the pink gradient?
Pour in the cranberry juice last and slowly. It contains more sugar than grapefruit juice and is therefore heavier, so it naturally sinks to the bottom.
Can you make a Sea Breeze alcohol-free?
Yes: leave out the vodka and top up with sparkling water. The bitterness of grapefruit and cranberry keeps this a grown-up drink even without alcohol.
Everything for your bar,
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